Green paper on agriculture released

Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce released the Green Paper at the National Farmers Federation National Conference in Canberra today.

It details a wide variety of issues including plans for more dams and water infrastructure, as well as changes to how supermarkets negotiate prices with farmers, with suggestions more farmer-owned co-operatives could play a key role in that relationship.

The proposal for co-operatives to be involved in the supermarket sector comes after years of talks around a code of conduct between supermarkets and farmers, and an interim voluntary code which is currently in place.

Mr Joyce says the idea has been flagged as a measure that could see producers gain a fairer price for their product.

Water infrastructure is a key issue within the paper, which identifies six irrigation projects in Tasmania and Victoria, as well as potential dams and water projects in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

However the paper warns the funding for some of these projects is not guaranteed, with Infrastructure Australia required to approve any development over $100 million.

The NNF has welcomed the paper, with the new CEO Simon Talbot saying the document has nine key areas which aligned clearly with the NFF’s Blueprint for Australian Agriculture.

“Pleasingly, it places farmers at the centre of a virtuous cycle for Australian agriculture,” he said.

“In that, it addresses the need to increase returns at the farm gate and it recognises families and rural communities as the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture.”